rejection hurts
by TitaniaAn
Summary: Harrison reflects on Sam's rejection of him. It hurts, doesn't it? (3 Chapters involved. I also made the chapters into three different stories which may be easier for you all to read ]
1. Default Chapter

This poem is after "My Death Has Been Greatly Exaggerated" episode. You should read "The Awakening." Imagine what Harrison is feeling right now before you read that story. Anyway, this poem "rejection hurts" applies to anybody, not just Sam and Harrison and people on 'Popular.' I wrote this as an inspiration from this episode and rejections from colleges. :) Everyone, in one time or another, face a feeling of rejection.  
  
Please do not sue me for I do not have any money. Note that I do not own this character 'Harrison John' because he is created by Warner Bros and the producers of "Popular."   
  
rejection hurts   
  
rejection hurts.  
let's face it -   
my brain burst  
with tears and bits.  
i know nothing about what tears are  
but they jump around in my heart  
and pretty soon my face will be marred   
with wet drops forming in my eyes and start  
to run, and leap down the cheek's run.  
oh my heart has been cleft in twain!  
The illuminating light and shining sun  
Dimmed for me today - it is insane.  
Oh rejection hurts  
And i won't bear it for a week or so  
But i'll go on with my search and  
reach my dream and so and so.  
  
indeed, rejection hurts.  
They say that what don't kill you make you even stronger than before  
Let's see if that is true . i will try again.  
  
- TitaniaAn  



	2. Default Chapter

  
Nicole/Harrison (An Unexpected Fellowship)  
By TitaniaAn  
  
This is after "It's Greek to Me". After being devastated by the reality of her birth mother's death, Nicole is comforted by an unlikely friend.   
  
Note: These characters are created by Warner Bros. Thank you and do not sue me because I'm merely an fan of the show and have no money.  
  
------------------------  
Harrison walked to his locker to get his Chemistry book. After all, Glass announced that she would surprise them - an unfair pop quiz, no doubt. It is so unfair that he would have see to George and Sam laughing together again. "Oh Sam, why couldn't you be with me?," thought Harrison.  
  
He walked across the parking lot and stood still to watch the skies. He took a deep breath. It's been too long for him to just stand still and smell and see the world around him. Harrison hated the hospital and he missed so much from recovering.  
  
Harrison started to walk to his beat-up car when he found Nicole in an expensive, flashy car next to him, crying a lot, apparently.  
  
He tapped the window gently. The window slowly rolled down.  
  
"Nicole? What's wrong?," asked Harrison, geniuely concerned.  
  
Nicole quickly wiped her tears away and said sarcastically, "What do you want? Shouldn't you be off chasing Spam?"  
  
Harrison leaned closer to Nicole, "Hey, I'm here now. I just want to help. Remember our connection?" He held up his ring. Nicole saw it and was reminded what he said about them being connected.  
  
Silence between the two.  
  
Nicole seeing that Harrison would not go away any time soon, she permitted him to get in the car.  
  
"Ok, I am in."  
  
He looked around the car and said, "What a great car! Ahem, anyway... what's bothering you, Nicole? Can I help?"  
  
She gave a quick breath.  
  
Nicole said with much anger, "So much...the lunch lady is not my real mother. She tried to blackmail my mother into leaving us alone yesterday with $50 grand."  
  
Harrison looked shocked and said, "Wow. I am sorry to hear that, Nicole."  
  
Nicole continued to speak and looked around her, "That's not all. Shaggy Louise, I don't know if she is alive today. Those nasty, greedy pigs - Mary Lou Parker manipulated me by making me believe that she is my real mother. Sadly, I took the bait."  
  
"Well you didn't know. She had no right to deceive you like that."  
  
"I was right. It was an fantasy that didn't come true. I let down my guard and got hurt. "  
  
Nicole started to cry and Harrison felt helpless to do anything except to reach and hug her.  
  
"Does any one else know about this, Nicole?"  
  
She turned away and sniffed. "No, I haven't talk to Brookie because she's busy, watching a movie or something - Lord knows what with Spam and the family. Mary Cherry is chasing Ben Affleck at the moment. Well, I've got no one to talk to."  
  
"Shh...you will know the truth someday, Nicole. Too bad that Shaggy never got to know you." He pulled apart and looked at her. "I see a beautiful daughter with great eyes and I see a girl with a heart and a cunning mind."  
  
Nicole started to laugh and blushed.  
  
She then gave a weak smile. "Joe, my mother would be ashamed to see me like this - like a horrible 'bitch' and if I ever have kids, she would fear for my kids' safety."  
  
Harrison chuckled uncomfortably, "Nicole, I'm sorry about the email. I didn't mean it..."  
  
Nicole looked down and muttered, "I know you didn't. You were annoyed about me being high and mighty and...I don't blame you for being angry at me. I meant what I said at the memorial. I was wrong."  
  
Harrison lifted her chin, "Look, Nicole. You saved my life and how many time I gotta thank for that? Thank you. Now I want to be here for you and help save you from your despair, huh? Let me be your friend for once? Your hero for once?" He was too convincing.  
  
He held his hand and smiled, "You don't have to be strong all the time Nicole. We all know that you are human and you are prone to cry, to yell out of frustration and to make mistakes. So be yourself - be a person that your mom would be proud of."  
  
"I will, Joe. I am trying to change my attitude. But we both know that I won't break the habits...I will be back as cold, mean..."  
  
Harrison finished her sentence, "Compassionate and nice. You changed by donating your bone marrow to me. You wouldn't do that if you were a 'bitch'."  
  
Nicole said smiling, "All right. OK, you are right. I guess, I would like you to be my ...friend." She extended her hand and said, "No wonder the girls love to hang out with you. You're pretty good listener."  
  
Harrison shook her hand and coyling said, "I was born to listen to girls."  
  
He said, "Good, friend. Say, do you want to go to the mall?"  
  
She looked at him and burst laughing "To what? Shop? That would kill you from carrying all my shopping bags. And yea, hon, you are not exactly Hercules - you can't handle it."  
  
He threw up his hands as if he gave up on her.  
  
She sat up and said seriously, "Thanks for the offer, Joe. I appreciate your help. Just that I got to go home to Mother Julian. I want to spend time with her tonight."  
  
She gave him an hug and kiss on a cheek.   
  
He gave her a wink and daring smile and opened the door.  
  
"Hey Joe?"  
  
"What, Nicole?"  
  
"I will kill you if you personally tell this conversation to anyone."  
  
He chuckled and said, "I won't." Harrison turned to walk away.  
  
"And Joe?" He turned around again.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Don't give up on Sam, loverboy. She'll come around. I know it."  
  
He gave her a sad smile and said, "Thanks. I won't. I just hope and wait."  
  
The two separated.  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Default Chapter

  
Sam/Harrison (The Awakening)  
By TitaniaAn  
  
This is after My Death Has Been Greatly Exaggerated. Sam had a realization that she may have made a wrong choice.   
  
Note: These characters are created by Warner Bros. Thank you and do not sue me because I'm merely an fan of the show and have no money.  
  
------------------------  
At Brooke's house  
  
In her room, after remembering Harrison's face fell when she told she would choose George over him, Sam felt horrible and overwhelmed with grief. She broke her best friend's heart so bad that she wonder if he would ever forgive her or much less, would she forgive herself to hurting him so much after all the things he been through? She remembered seeing him walk away and the sight of him became smaller and smaller, the halls became silent as if it were ignoring her for rejecting her best friend - best friends as long as she could remember.  
  
"Why did Harrison tell me that he loves me? Why now?," she sighed despairingly as she laid down, thinking.  
  
Knock...knock...  
  
"Sam? Can I come in?"  
  
"Sure, come in." Sam wiped her tears off and tried to smile but it was evident to Brooke that she had been crying. Brooke sat down next to her and tried to comfort her.  
  
"I guess you decided and it was not what Harrison wanted, huh?"   
  
"Yeah...yeah. Brooke, you should have seen his face. It broke his heart. Now he doesn't want to speak me again. This is what I was afraid of! I didn't want to break our friendship up."  
  
"Look, like I told you before, he wanted to take a risk and you have to admire him for being forward to you. A lot of people have regrets from not telling what's in their heart. I guess after the memorial of April Tuna, he realized he didn't want to live life with regrets. I think you should take some time to think about it."  
  
No answer from Sam.  
  
Brooke got the hint.  
"So I am going to leave you alone. If you need to talk, you know where to find me." Brooke got up and closed the door gently.  
  
Sam pulled herself up and decided to take Brooke's advice. She took out the laptop and went to see Harrison's email and reread the words. Then she sat still for a moment.  
  
Sam remembered the times Harrison was there for her, through her crush on Josh, square offs with Brooke and Nicole and through her earlier days with George. He was there at the right moment at the right time. To comfort her, advise her, support her in his little Harrison ways. She also remembered Harrison turning into Male Nicole a while and she could not understand why he was acting so differently around her since he got out of the hospital. He told her that he wanted their attentions but did he want her attention? After all, she was the one that snapped him out of his Male Nicole facade by an serious ultimatum.   
  
Why couldn't she see what was coming? Where were they right now? Are they never to be best of friends again?  
  
Exhausted from thinking about what happened and was happening, she slept and dreamed.  
  
She was in the hospital all over again and she and Brooke were visiting Harrison. They decided to buy the cute hamsters named after Harrison's close friends for him so he would not be homesick and lonely without them. However Sam forgot to buy a hamster for Harrison' deceased friend Clarence. He grudgingly told them that he needed to be alone. Sam and Brooke were leaving when they heard "Beepppp-beepppp..." Turning around, they found Harrison in shock and not breathing.  
  
Sam shouted for doctor and nurses while Brooke tried to calm her down. The small pond of greens wheeled him out to the ER. Sam stood in awe and trembling while nurse Dan ushered them out to the waiting room.  
  
"Did you hear anything from the Doctor," asked Brooke, returning with a cup of coffee.  
  
"No...," mumbled Sam.   
  
"I called his mom and the gang. They should be here shortly."  
  
Sam broke down and sobbed, "What am I going to do if he does not make it? What will I do?"   
  
Brooke hugged her and murmured, "Look, hon, you have to be strong for him all right?" and she became quiet, feeling helpless. After all, Harrison helped her through eating disorder dilemma and a glue for the gang.  
  
"God, please bring him back..." and Sam looked up to see the Doctor coming toward her.  
  
"Mrs. John?"  
  
Sam stood up and looked straight in Doctor's eyes, "His mother is not here...This is Harrison's best friend. Please tell me if he will be all right?"  
  
He told them, "I am sorry. He did not make it through. We tried to revive him and...we lost him."  
  
"Nooooooooooooo!," wailed Sam, "Not again..." and she ran to the corridors and ran.  
  
"Sam? Sam? Wake up, Sam," said Brooke, looking worried. "Are you all right?"  
  
She woke up with a startle and started to panic.  
"What happened? Is Harrison all right?"  
  
"He's fine."  
  
"Ohh...oh my god. I had this terrible nightmare"  
  
"You ok?"  
  
"I'm fine...for a minute."  
  
"Um...Hey, it's time to ready to go to school. We are going to be tardy if we don't get moving here," said Brooke.  
  
-------------  
On the Way to Kennedy High...  
  
Lily picked them up with her electric car that she was bragging so much about and Mary Cherry blabbed as usual with Carmen laughing along. Brooke asked a question to the group and they all started to laughing about some new student. The car fell silent for a moment.  
  
"Hello? Sam? Earth to Sam," said Lily, interrupting her playback of the dream.  
  
"What? Oh...what was the question?"   
  
"You are awfully quiet today. Anything on your mind, perhaps, George?" teased Carmen.  
  
The girls chuckled and Mary Cherry said, "Hey Sammie. Your Georgie is comin' home from that football banquet in Fontana, right? "   
  
It did not occur to her that she would see her boyfriend. It would be hard talking to him but she made up her decision to talk to him.  
  
"Yeah...he is," said Sam with uncertainty.  
  
The girls noticed that Sam really seemed to have something big disturbing her but the car had arrived at Kennedy High's parking lot before anyone could ask Sam what was wrong.  
  
Sam worked her way through the classes. She was oblivious to the questions and admonishments from teachers. It was lunchtime (thank god after 4th period with Claw) and she went to the library to research on Energy, thanks to Claw. Some one closed their hands over eyes.  
  
"Guess who?"  
  
"I am going to take a guess...um, Freddie Prinze Jr?" Sam smiled and she knew perfectly well who it was.   
  
"No...aren't I cuter than that skinny boy?"  
  
Sam turned around, chuckling. "Ta-da!," said George.  
  
He gave her a kiss and she started to kiss him back but seeing Harrison sitting close by, she quickly put a stop on that kiss.  
  
"Ahem. Let sit down, George. We need to talk," said Sam, sitting down with tons of books for Glass' project on the table.  
  
"Uh-oh...this does not sound good," said George.  
  
She sighed and started to fidget. She could not speak for the moment and the two sat in silence uncomfortably.   
  
"Sam, what's wrong?" asked George, ending the silence.  
  
"Something happened over the weekend. Um...this is kind of hard for me to say...I do like you a lot, George but I have this problem with Harrison. He did something weird over the weekend like he loves me?"  
  
"Harrison?" George threw his head back and said, "I knew it...he was after you..."  
  
Sam felt shocked at his reaction. She asked, "What? You know?"  
  
"That he likes you? Of course I knew. Everyone know about it and I didn't think of it much and it seemed like you didn't care about it..."  
  
"Wow...I did not know that."  
  
"Well, they know. I knew it when I first met you and then you introduced me to your best friend, Harrison. I saw the way he looked at you. And you told me that he was only a friend, remember?"  
  
"Yes...That's the problem. Since Harrison told me that he loves me, I don't know where that would leave us - you, me, and him. He asked me to choose between you two and I chose you."  
  
George sighed a breath of relief.   
  
"But...I need time to think this over fully. I owe it at least that much to me, to him and to you."  
  
"You are breaking up with me aren't you? Ultimately, you chose him..." with sadness in George's eyes.  
  
"This is really horrible," thought Sam. She closed her eyes with her hands on her cheek and said, "Look George. I need to sort this out. I need to know everything and explore what is really between me and him."   
  
She cleared her voice and said with it more conviction, "I guess I am breaking up with you because it is not fair to have you waiting around for me while I find answers. I really need time to do this on my own. To find out what's in my heart. I don't want to have regrets."  
  
George began to speak. "True that. Look, you got to know that I will always love you. I am going to respect your decision. At least I can do that much for you" and he began to leave. He turned and gave Sam a kiss on the cheek.   
  
She whispered to him, "Thank you.  
-----------------  
At Harrison's House:  
She drove herself to Harrison' house after school and decided to resolve this matter once and for all. Her mother, Robin saw her coming up on the sidewalk and was delighted that she stopped by.  
  
"Why, Sam! I am so glad to you see you!"  
  
"You too, Mrs. John....Is, um, Harrison home?"  
  
"Yes, yes he is. In fact he is at his room, researching about energy project? Anyway, it is good to see you, dear. I have to go to the pharmacy. Go on up."  
  
"Thanks, Mrs. John." Sam walked her way up and knocked gently on the door. She went over the speech that she would have with Harrison to beg him to be back in her life again.  
  
"What is it, Mom?"   
  
"It's me - Sam. She left for work and she said I could come in."  
  
Muffled voice responded, "Look, Sam, I really don't have time for this...I got homework to do."  
  
Sam answered impatiently, "Harrison, you can't run from this. I can't run from this. We need to talk."  
  
No answer. "Well, to hell with the speech. Here goes nothing" thought Sam.   
  
"Harrison, I didn't want to do this but I have no choice." She opened the door with full force. She saw Harrison, sitting in his chair looking outside the window.  
  
"Did you ever wonder how can that pretty little bird right outside love that ugly skinny bird?" He turned to give her a strange look.  
  
"Harrison..."  
  
His eyes looked down and asked, "What Sam? I thought we agreed not to talk to each other."  
  
"You did. I didn't. You're not ugly. You're beautiful. My best friend..." Sam edged herself closer to him and saw him, looking more dejectedly.  
  
"What do you want then? Torture me with details about kissing George? I rather take my heart again and feed it to the dogs." Harrison was annoyed by the melodramas of Sam.  
  
She lowered herself and forced him to look at her. Those brooding brown eyes - remarkable. With fires within them.   
  
Her face was closer to him in few inches and quickly kissed him. Granted it was kind of awkward and Harrison was surprised and so were Sam at her move. Their lips touched and Harrison did not object. They kissed for a minute or so - it was the greatest moment that Sam ever felt in her life and Harrison was absolutely on cloud nine.  
  
She clasped his hands with her and whispered, "You don't have to feed your heart to the dogs..."  
  
Harrison pulled himself away, looking miserable.   
  
"What's wrong Harrison?" asked Sam, confused.  
  
Harrison asked in anguish, fearing that Sam would disappear.  
"Why are you here? Don't you have to be somewhere with your Adonis? Why are you doing this to me?"  
  
"What? No...no... I wanted to find out if this is true. That you and I should be together. I broke up with him." She smiled and was convinced that she does having feelings for him after seeing her dream and kissing him just now. Sam would ride it through the ride and risk her heart for this.  
  
"And it's true, isn't it, Harrison? That we are to be together right now at the right time?" thought Sam and she beamed, full with happiness and peaceful feelings inside her.  
  
Harrison laughed joyfully and said, "You don't know how long I waited to hear you say that and kiss you endlessly like this" He leaned toward her and kissed her even longer. For the two, they never felt so right than that moment...  



End file.
